F5
by Whistler Nights
Summary: Rachel's life is almost perfect again. She has Finn back and New York is on the horizon, but an unexpected twist of nature ends it all in only a few short minutes. Even Rachel Berry is no match for the perfect storm.
1. Chapter 1

**F5**

A New Story –

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

"SAT Saturday, what a colossal waste of a perfectly good Saturday," Finn said out loud as he washed off the shaving cream in front of the bathroom mirror.

"What are you complaining about?" Kurt asked as he tried to check his perfectly coifed hair in front of the same bathroom mirror one more time. "Would you please move over so I can brush my hair before Blaine gets here to pick me up?"

"I don't understand why you are so cheerful about spending your entire Saturday sitting in an uncomfortable desk at McKinley when you took the SAT last year and have scores that anyone would kill for," Finn said pushing Kurt back out of the way as he searched for his toothbrush. "And why is Blaine taking the SAT at McKinley? Don't they give it over at Dalton Academy where they at least have comfortable chairs?"

"Blaine is taking it again at Dalton Academy later this month. The test is given on multiple Saturdays at multiple locations. Blaine just wants to improve his scores as much as possible as do I." Kurt said reaching for some of Finn's aftershave.

"Hey, you get to use my aftershave when you actually have something to shave," Finn teased his peach faced younger brother.

"I just wanted to smell nice for Blaine, but after smelling this stuff, I think I'll pass," Kurt complained putting the top back on the bottle.

"Rachel likes it," Finn smirked as he took his aftershave back from his step brother.

"Rachel would like it even if you rubbed turpentine behind your ears," Kurt scoffed as he took the opportunity to steal Finn's place in front of the mirror. "I'm so glad that the two of you are back together. I really thought that you needed your head examined when you got back together with Quinn, and Rachel's PMS was beginning to look terminal. I wasn't here for your stupidity and her melt down, but she certainly wore my ear out over the phone."

"I'm glad that she had you to talk to last winter," Finn conceded. "I just wish that I knew what was going on in Rachel's head right now. I used to know what she was thinking, but now it's different."

"All she has ever wanted was for us to be together. We're together now, but she keeps telling me that this is only temporary. That she's going to New York when we graduate no matter what, and I'll be like a fish out of water there. Why does she think I'm taking the SAT? I'm trying to get into a college in New York City so we can still be together."

"Have you told her that?" Kurt asked.

"I have, but I don't think she believes that I can actually do it with my grades and my money situation. She says that we're going to make the most of our last year together, and then she'll be gone. She's been rather pre-occupied any way with the news that her mother's coming to Lima."

"What did you just say?" Kurt asked with a shocked look on his face. "Why is Shelby Corcoran coming to Lima?"

"I thought you knew. Sandy Ryerson has been fired finally, and Shelby has been asked to fill in until someone can be hired. If Figgins likes her, she might get the job permanently," Finn said as he splashed some of the aftershave onto his neck.

"How does Rachel feel about this?" Kurt asked still dumbfounded.

"Rachel has mixed feelings. She wants to have a mother/daughter relationship with Shelby so bad, but what happened last year is holding her back."

"When did Rachel find this out?" Kurt asked.

"Yesterday, she told me about it after the football game last night. Shelby had called her after school and asked Rachel if she would feel comfortable if she took the job at McKinley. What was Rachel supposed to say? Drama teaching jobs are impossible to find, and Shelby has a kid to support."

"Oh no," Kurt said almost under his breath. "Do Quinn and Puck know that their child will be living in Lima too? They've got to run into each other. Lima isn't that big."

"Rachel wasn't worried about Quinn and Puck when she told me, and I'm not either. I've got to go if I'm going to pick up Rachel. We'll see you over at the high school later," Finn said heading out of their shared bathroom.

"Don't forget your calculator, extra batteries, and some No. 2 pencils," Kurt called after his brother as Finn took the steps two at a time.

Finn passed Blaine as Blaine was coming in the front door. "Kurt upstairs combing his hair again," Finn said passing Blaine.

"So I can mess it up for him?" Blaine laughed before he spoke to Finn again, "Finn, you might want to take a rain coat or an umbrella with you. The sky is getting dark in the west and it's windy. I drove through two down pours on my way over here to pick up Kurt."

"Man, the sun is shining, what are you talking about?" Finn asked from the front porch.

"Look to the west," Blaine instructed Finn.

Finn looked and then came back inside for his letterman's jacket and an umbrella. As he drove over to Rachel's house the rain started and the wind picked up. Fall leaves were whirling around the truck as he drove through the rain.

Rachel was waiting on her front porch in her raincoat and the hood up over her head. Finn ran up the porch steps with the umbrella to get her. Back safely in his truck, Rachel and Finn were sharing their good morning kiss when the truck radio interrupted the music with a weather announcement.

"We interrupt your Saturday Morning Top 40 with a weather watch announcement," the radio announcer said rapidly. "Category F2 tornadoes have touched down in Indiana and Illinois in the west and Category F1 tornadoes are forming over Kentucky and Tennessee to the south. These are two separate weather systems and have the potential to converge somewhere over Ohio later today if they continue on their current tracks. Please continue to monitor this radio station for the latest updates. Repeat, this is a weather watch at this time. We will let you know if the watch is upgraded to a weather warning if conditions develop."

"Rachel, what exactly does the F in F1 and F2 mean?" Finn asked as the truck radio returned to the music.

"It's the Fujita scale. It measures the intensity of storms based wind speed and the damage that they can potentially inflict. F1 is the lowest," Rachel said as she watched the large rain drops splash on the hood of Finn's truck.

"What's the highest?" Finn asked warily.

"A F5 is the highest. A F5 levels everything in its path and can toss cars and houses around like toys. It's total destruction. The tornado that we had in Lima in 2006 was an F2. The tornadoes in Ohio in 2010 reached F3."

"I remember that one. Mom and I huddled in the basement, but we only lost a few shingles and a tree out back. Do you think that we should still go over to the high school and take the SAT today?" Finn asked hoping for a reprieve.

"Let's go over and find out if they're going to cancel the test for today," Rachel answered. "Those two storms are hundreds of miles away, and they may blow themselves out before they ever reach Ohio."

Finn and Rachel pulled into the parking lot at McKinley with Blaine and Kurt right behind them. Huddled under raincoats and umbrellas they made their way into the high school lobby where other juniors and seniors were waiting to take the SAT with them.

Ms. Pillsbury hadn't come out of her office with the testing room assignments yet, and Coach Sylvester was monitoring the group in the lobby with her megaphone in hand.

"Coach Sylvester, have you heard the weather reports? Is it safe for us to be here today considering the tornadoes that are to the west and south of us?" Artie asked timidly.

"What tornadoes? I'll have you know that I eat F1 and F2 tornadoes for breakfast. I'm sure that you're all safer here than you would be hiding in your bathtubs and closets at home. This place is a brick fortress," Coach Sylvester scoffed at the worried crowd of teenagers.

Everyone was pacing the lobby not sure of whether to be more afraid of a possible tornado, the SAT, or Coach Sylvester. Quinn was also among the group checking her calculator one more time to make sure that it was fully charged and her pencils were sharp.

Watching the weather outside the front high school windows the group was tense and quiet. The silence was broken when they heard the familiar voice of Principal Figgins approaching from an adjoining hallway.

"And here, Mrs. Corcoran, you will find the teacher's lounge where you are welcome to enjoy your lunch time in peace," Principal Figgins said directing the attention of the tall, dark haired woman to the lounge.

All of the waiting students turned to see their principal giving a school tour to what appeared to be a new teacher. Quinn froze when she saw Shelby Corcoran. Immediately she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Puck's.

"What is she doing here?" Quinn whispered to Puck.

"I don't know, but Rachel may have some answers," Puck said looking for Finn. He knew that if he found Finn, he would find Rachel also. Standing six inches taller than everyone else, Puck soon spotted his childhood best friend. Puck guided Quinn in Finn's direction and left Lauren standing by herself in disbelief.

"Rachel, what's your mother doing here?" Quinn asked when she and Puck found Finn and Rachel in a corner of the lobby.

"She's going to be teaching here, she filling in for Mr. Ryerson who was fired. It's an interim position" Rachel told the taller blond.

"Why didn't someone tell me? She has my baby! She has my daughter! I should have been told," Quinn said becoming upset.

"I only found out yesterday," Rachel said more concern with her own worries than Quinn's.

"She can't be here, she can't! It's a small town; I'm going to run into my own daughter at the grocery store. I thought that I had put all of this all behind me! Did you have anything to do with this?" Quinn asked pointing her finger at Rachel's face.

"Back off Quinn," Finn said as he stepped between Quinn and Rachel. "Rachel is as shocked as you are over this."

Rachel looked at Quinn long enough to say, "As I remember, you gave your baby away. She's not your daughter anymore."

"Finn, Rachel, leave Quinn alone. We've all been taken off-guard." Puck said taking Quinn's defense.

The impending weather was quickly forgotten as Principal Figgins introduced their new drama teacher to the group of waiting teenagers in the lobby.

"Ms. Corcoran we have a group of juniors and seniors waiting here to take the SAT in a few minutes. You may find some candidates for the musical that you're planning in this group," Principal Figgins smiled broadly.

Rachel and Quinn were glad that they were in the back of the crowd as Shelby introduced herself to the group and hoped that some of them would audition for her upcoming musical. Rachel squeezed Finn's hand a little harder, and Quinn was glad that Puck was there.

When Shelby had finished speaking Ms. Pillsbury stepped up and spoke to the crowd.

"Everyone please be quiet and listen for your testing room assignments," Miss Pillsbury tried to speak louder.

"If your last name begins with A, B, C, or D you will be with Coach Sylvester in her classroom in the Athletic Wing."

Rachel was not pleased to be spending the rest of the day with Coach Sylvester monitoring, but at least she would be with Blaine, Artie, Tina, and Mike.

Ms. Pillsbury continued to read the assignments. Finn, Kurt, Mercedes, and Quinn would be with Mr. Schue in his Spanish classroom.

As the group broke up to go to their assigned classrooms, Rachel told Finn to break a leg as he told her that he loved her.

Puck asked Quinn if is she was going to be alright before he left with Santana and Brittany in the L, M, N, O, P group for their testing room with Coach Beiste. Lauren gave Puck a confused look before she headed off with Ms. Pillsbury and the W, X, Y, Z group for the library.

The SAT began and everyone was hard at work. Kurt had told Finn to skip the questions that he wasn't sure about, but to come back to them if he had time at the end.

They were two hours into the exam when tornado alarms could be heard going off in the distance. Within seconds, Principal Figgans was on the intercom telling everyone to hand their testing booklets to their monitors as orderly as possibly and to take their tornado drill positions in the nearest hallway.

Rachel shoved her testing booklet into Coach Sylvester's hands and told her that she had to find Finn.

"Get back in here Missy," Coach Sylvester barked at Rachel. "Your sweetie is on the other end of the campus in the Language Arts wing."

"We don't care," Blaine barked back at Sue before he grabbed Rachel's hand and ran out into the hallway making their way toward Finn and Kurt.

The rain was hitting the building in sideways sheets as the hail hammered the roof and the skylights. Rachel held on to Blaine's hand tightly as they ran toward the Language Arts wing as fast as they could run. Unknown to them, Finn and Kurt were heading in their direction when a power transformer exploded outside in a ball of fire and then the whole building went dark.

-/-

Until chapter two, please review. I appreciate your suggestions so much! Sincerely, Whistler Nights


	2. Chapter 2 Trapped

**Trapped – Chapter 2**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

The wind was howling outside when the lights at McKinley flickered once, twice, and then dissolved the hallways into darkness. When the power transformer exploded outside there was a brilliant flash of light followed by a deafening boom.

Rachel screamed, "Help!" as she held onto Blaine's hand even tighter. They were suspended in the black oblivion for a moment before the emergency lights responded and bathed the hallways with a yellow glow.

"Rachel is that you? It's me Finn. Where are you?" Finn screamed into the empty hallways.

"Blaine and I are over here. Keep talking and we'll follow the sound of your voice," Rachel yelled back in momentary relief.

When Blaine and Rachel found Finn and Kurt they were back in the school lobby. Relieved to have found each other but overwhelmed by the show Mother Nature was putting on outside the front windows. The American and Ohio Flags had been ripped from the pole and now only the rope banged against the steel pole.

"Children, what are you doing here? You should be with your test monitors crouched in the hallways! You know the tornado drill; we've done it dozen of times!" Principal Figgins demanded to know when he saw the students.

Standing behind Principal Figgins was Shelby Corcoran. Apparently she had stayed to talk to the principal after her interview and school tour were over.

"We had to find each other," Rachel said meekly.

"Well we can't stay here with all of these windows. They could blow out at any moment. We need to get to the boiler room down in the basement," Figgins instructed as he herded the small group in the direction of the boiler room door.

"What about the others?" Finn asked. "We can't leave them in the halls, there're too many windows there too. How many people are here today? Can we get everyone into the boiler room in the basement?"

"There are twenty seven students here today taking the SAT, three teachers, two coaches, and one guidance counselor, plus myself and Ms. Corcoran," Principal Figgins answered Finn quickly.

"That's thirty five," Kurt said doing the math in his head, "We should all fit down there if we can get everyone here before the tornado reaches us."

"Wait, Becky Jackson is here today too," Rachel added. She's helping Coach Sylvester, but Becky left to find some coffee for Coach right before the tornado alarms went off."

"With no electricity, the intercom won't work. Children do you have your cell phones with you?" Principal Figgins asked urgently.

"No, the teachers took them up before the test started. Coach Sylvester has all of ours on her desk," Blaine answered.

Principal Figgins thought for a second before he handed Finn his key to the boiler room door.

"Finn, take my key and take these people to the boiler room. The emergency lights should be on down there. I'll use my cell phone to call the teachers and have them bring their students to the boiler room."

"Rachel, stand by the door and take a head count as everyone heads down the steps. Kurt run into my office and grab the weather radio. It's on my desk. Bring the flashlight that's on the filing cabinet too."

Within moments after Figgins called the teachers, the students were streaming quickly down the steps to the boiler room as the winds picked up speed outside. Tina and Mike were pushing Artie in his wheelchair toward the boiler room door as fast as they could. Azimio scooped Artie up from his wheelchair and carried him down the steps.

"Thanks man," Artie said as he hung onto the left guard's broad shoulders.

"It's okay," Azimio said as he sat Artie down. "I may not like you, but I'm not going to let you die either."

The building was shaking as Principal Figgins slammed the door after the last student headed down the steps.

"Is that everyone?" Principal Figgins asked Rachel frantically.

"No!" Rachel cried, "We're missing Coach Sylvester and Becky Jackson!"

"Coach Sylvester sent us here and then went to find Becky when you called her," Tina panted still trying to catch her breath.

"I'm right here," a small voice spoke up as the crowd parted to expose Becky standing with Brittany and Santana.

"We saw Becky coming out of the cafeteria with a cup of coffee so we grabbed her and pulled her along with us," Santana volunteered.

"Teachers, count the students that were assigned to you for the test. I'll see if I can call Coach Sylvester on my cell phone. If any of you have your cell phones with you call your parents to tell them that you're okay and then stay off of them. We may need to save the batteries."

"It's no use," Mercedes piped up. "I've already tried to call my parents, and these walls are too thick to get a signal."

"My dads!" Rachel cried as Finn tired to keep her from running back up the boiler room steps. They were going to Columbia today!"

"Rachel they'll be okay. If they went to Columbia, they probably missed this storm," Finn said trying to calm his girlfriend down.

"What about Mom and Dad?" Kurt asked Finn solemnly.

"Mom's at the hospital and that building has stood up to a lot, and Burt's at the shop. He and the other guys can get down into one of the pits under the lifts_._

Finn was trying to sound brave, but deep down inside he was scared to death.

"Everyone grab a buddy or two and find a place to sit down until this storm passes," Principal Figgins instructed. "We have four emergency lights, and there's plenty of water in the boiler. There's a door to the outside in the back, but everyone stay away from there for now. Don't go anywhere without your buddy."

Finn already had Rachel's hand firmly in his. He directed her to a corner and sat down in front of her like a human shield.

"What are you doing?" Rachel asked Finn.

"I'm not going to lose you," Finn said as he took off his letterman's jacket and wrapped it around her with a worried smile.

"Would the two you mind being buddies with me?" Shelby asked as she walked over to Finn and Rachel.

"Sure," Finn said as he got up and offered Shelby a seat with them.

"Shelby, where's Beth?" Rachel asked her mother quietly.

"She's at my house near Carmel High School. Jesse's watching her for me today," Shelby answered. "There's a storm cellar there if the storm reaches them."

"Jesse? Jesse St. James?" Rachel asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Jesse has been staying with me since he flunked out of UCLA and his parents kicked him out," Shelby said looking at her hands that were trembling.

Puck was already sitting with Quinn on the far side of the basement when Lauren joined them.

"What's with the pink hair Blondie?" Lauren asked Quinn as she sat down on the other side of Puck.

"It's my badass side," Quinn said without looking at anything in particular. "I've tried being the good girl and look where it has gotten me? I've lost Finn. My dad is never coming back. Good girls finish last."

"I like Badass Quinn," Puck said squeezing Quinn's hand.

Lauren noticed Puck holding Quinn's hand and asked him, "Do you have room for more than one badass girl in your life?"

"Yes Lauren I do, but you know that Quinn's the mother of my child. We share a connection that will link us together for the rest of our lives," Puck said attempting to hold Lauren's hand with his other hand.

"I see," Lauren said as she got up and moved away to sit with Tina, Mike, and Artie.

Mr. Schue walked around the hulking boiler to check the outside exit door in the back. When he came back, he pulled Principal Figgins aside and said to him quietly,

"There's a pile of old cotton gym mats over there blocking the rear door. We have to get some of the guys to help us move them in case we need to go out that way."

Principal Figgins moved around the group and asked Finn, Puck, Mike, Azimio, and Karofsky to come with him. The boys pulled the mats down and spread them around the boiler room floor for everyone to sit on. The steel exit door was shaking but still holding. The winds were forcing leaves and water around it.

"I don't know why those mats were there in the first place. It's a fire hazard." Figgins complained loudly to Mr. Schuster.

"I do," Brittany volunteered. "When the Cherrios bought new mats, Coach Sylvester told us to bring the old ones down here. She didn't want them to ugly-up her gym. This was the biggest space we could find."

Principal Figgins just shook his head as he tried to use his cell phone again near the rear door. It was no use. Between the approaching storm, the thick basement walls, and all of the steel in the basement, his cell phone was useless. The weather radio was working but barely. The weather report was breaking up as the storm was getting closer.

Figgins cut the radio off to save the batteries as he walked around to where Will was waiting with the students.

"Schue, I don't want to scare the children, but Lima is right in the path of a F5 tornado that's spinning off smaller ones," Figgins whispered to the Spanish teacher. "The tornadoes in the south and west have converged to form a massive F5 and it's coming right at us."

The students huddled together listening to the roar before they heard what sounded like the building collapsing over head. No freight train had ever sounded louder. When the door at the top of the stairs was ripped away they were hit with a sudden blast of wind and water that raced in at gale force speed down the steps. Debris was falling down the stairwell and then stopped. The roof had fallen over the stairwell and the steps were blocked.

"Everyone, get under your mats," Schue screamed over the roar of the tornado that was right on top of them.

The ceiling was bucking and pipes were groaning around them. Just when they thought that it couldn't get any worse, they heard a loud crash in the direction on the rear exit door.

"Has it ripped the rear door off?" Rachel asked holding tightly to Finn and her mother.

"I don't think so," Finn yelled over the roar. "We haven't been sucked out the door."

As quickly as the storm had hit, it was now dead calm.

"Is it over?" Brittany asked sticking her head out from under the mat that she was sharing with several other students.

"No, this is just the eye of the storm passing over us. Everyone stay put. The back side of the storm will hit us at any minute," Mr. Schue said trying to remain calm.

Rachel moved even closer to Finn and cupped her hand over his ear. "I'm glad that we finally did it this summer, I'd didn't want it to be anyone but you, and I didn't want to die a virgin," she whispered in Finn's ear.

Finn smiled his one sided smile as he pulled his letterman's jacket closer around Rachel's shoulders.

"You're not going to die. I won't let you. You're Rachel Berry. You still have to rewrite Broadway history. And you and me will be 'doing it' for many more years to come long after this tornado has been forgotten," Finn whispered back into her ear with a peck on the side of her head.

"You think so?" Rachel asked shyly.

"I know so," Finn smiled.

Waiting for the inevitable back side of the tornado to hit, Shelby took Rachel's hand and looked straight into the chocolate eyes that looked just like her own.

"Rachel, if I don't get another chance to tell you, I want you to know that I've always loved you, I couldn't be prouder of you, and I'm so sorry for everything that I have done to you. That's why I wanted to take this job at McKinley, so I can get to know my daughter. I hope one day you'll forgive me," Shelby said with pleading eyes.

"There's nothing to forgive," Rachel said as she held tightly to her mother's hand.

The roar of the back side of the tornado could be heard getting louder as it approached them.

"This is it! Round two! Everyone take cover!" Mr. Schue ordered.

The ceiling over them was bucking. It sounded like someone was dragging the entire school across the ceiling above them. Insulation was falling around them along with water coming through the opening cracks. Rachel was glad that she had the warmth of Finn's jacket and his arms around her as everyone sat with their eyes closed praying.

For what seemed like an eternity the roar and banging continued as everyone was sure that they and their loved ones were all going to die. When the wind and roar finally subsided Mr. Schue asked if anyone was hurt. Then he told them to stay put while we he went to the outside door to look.

Slipping Figgins' key into the lock, Schue pushed the door open, but it would only open about a foot before the door hit something solid. Looking further he realized that the tornado had thrown a dumpster up against the door.

"Who's the smallest one here?" Mr. Schuster called to the group.

"That would have to be me?" Rachel said crawling out from under the gym mat.

"Come here and see if you can fit through this opening," Mr. Schuster call to her.

"No, Rachel's not going out there," Finn said holding her back. "I'll go."

"Finn if I can't fit through that opening then you know you can't. All of us have parents out there who know we're here. Someone will come looking for us soon. Just let me try. I can tell the rescue workers where we're at."

Finn reluctantly let go of Rachel's hand as she made her way to the door. She handed Finn's letterman's jacket back to him before she squeezed through the narrow opening.

"Here take my phone," Finn said as he shoved the phone into her hand. "Use it to call for help."

Once outside Rachel was shocked by what she saw. The high school was gone. All of their cars in the school parking lot were gone except for a few that had been chewed up and spit out like a bad seed. The only recognizable thing that she could see was the quad and it was full of hunks of debris the size of cars. Total dispair hit her when she dialed 911 and the cell phone only flashed, "No Network Available."

Stunned, she squeezed back to the narrow opening of the outside boiler room door.

"Rachel, what did you see? Did you call for help," Principal Figgins asked frantically.

"The school is gone. There's no cell phone signal," Rachel whispered in shock. "The tornado cut a path right through the middle of town. I'm not sure there's anyone left out there to rescue us."

Once inside Finn wrapped his jacket around Rachel's shaking body.

"What did you see?" Finn asked as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Finn it's like someone took a knife to the town and cut it up. Some things were spared and some things are completely gone. All that's left of McKinley is the floor and the quad," She paused before she spoke again. "I don't think it is over either. The sky is black, angry, and churning like I've never seen it before."

"Children, please remain calm," Principal Figgins urged them. "We have all made it though a F5 safely, but the weather radio said this tornado had created a line of tornadoes up and down the Ohio River Valley. We have survived a F5 down here; we can ride out what ever else this storm has to throw at us. It is safer in here than out there. The school above us is gone."

"What about our families?" Mike spoke up with his arm wrapped around Tina.

"Our families would want us to all stay here where we are safe for the time being. Rescue crews have to be on their way. When we hear the fire truck sirens we will send Rachel back out there to flag them down," Principal Figgins told the students.

"Principal Figgins, Rachel went out there the first time and she's scared. I can fit through that space too so I'll go the next time," Becky said offering her help.

-/- Until chapter 3, thank you for reviewing. Your suggestions and opinions are important to me. Sincerely, Whistler Nights


	3. Chapter 3 Lost and Found

**Lost and Found – Chapter 3**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

The worst of the F5 tornado had swept over them as they huddled in the basement of what was once McKinley High School. The building was gone and all that was left was the tile and hardwood floor of the main building, the football field, and the quad.

The back side of the tornado had passed over them earlier in the afternoon on that SAT Saturday and the survivors were anxious to climb out of the wet hole that they were trapped in and try to find their families.

The many outer bands of the tornado continued to pass over them one after another. With each new wave the group retreated back into their pocket of safety. The F5 had spawned several other killer tornadoes that just wouldn't seem to stop. F1's, 2's and 3's were reported up and down the Ohio River Valley, but nothing like the F5 that had passed directly over them.

Every time that they thought the worst was over a new wave of high winds, heavy rain, thunder, lightening, and hail would send them back under the gym mats in the basement. This went on all afternoon and night fall was quickly approaching.

"Do you want me to go and look for help before it gets dark?" Rachel asked Principal Figgins "I think the worst is over."

"I said that I would go." Becky Jackson volunteered. "I have to look for Coach!"

"Becky, I appreciate your bravery, but this is going to involve more than sticking your head out the door. When I was out there everything was gone for half a mile in all directions."

"Neither one of you are going to go searching for help until morning. You could step on a live power line in the darkness," Principal Figgins told them. "Search crews have to be looking for us this very minute."

Sniffing the air, Finn grimaced, "What is that smell? It smells like rotten eggs."

"That would be the broken gas lines," Mr. Schue told his student with a heavy sigh.

"Where is it coming from?" Finn asked Principal Figgins. "Is it coming from this boiler that we're all hiding around?"

"No, when it is lit this boiler burns fuel oil and it's stored in underground tanks outside. The school board has wanted to switch the boiler over to gas for some time, but they haven't had the money. My guess is that the gas smell is coming from what used to be the cafeteria, but that's on the other side of the campus. We're directly under what used to be the gymnasium," Principal Figgins said looking up at the precarious ceiling above them.

Darkness was surrounding them. They could hear chain saws and sirens wail in the distance, but help didn't come.

"Maybe no one is looking for us," Quinn said acidly.

"Yes they are!" Puck said turning Quinn around to face him. There're thirty five of us down here, and every one of us has someone out there that knows that we were at McKinley today."

"Don't worry Blondie, or should I say Pinkie. Mommy and Daddy are probably out there searching for your perfect little ass right now," Lauren scoffed before she walked away complaining that she was hungry.

"Don't you talk about my father like that! You don't know anything about him!" Quinn screamed at Lauren as Puck pulled her back.

"What's happened with Quinn?" Shelby whispered to Rachel. "I don't remember her being that way."

"It's me and her dad," Finn whispered before Rachel could answer her mother. "Her dad kicked her out of the house when she told her parents that she was pregnant. Now her dad has left town with a new girlfriend, and Quinn's mother has divorced him. She hasn't seen her dad since. I broke up with her last spring to be with Rachel, and she didn't take it very well. I think she's putting up this new bad ass attitude to protect herself from being hurt again."

"Everyone listen up," Mr. Schue addressed the group. "It looks like we're going to be here for the night or until someone on the outside finds us. Between the broken gas lines and the downed power lines, it is too dangerous to send someone out there in the dark. The emergency back-up lights will probably run out of battery power before dawn so please find a place with your buddy and stay put until morning."

"Oh man, I'm so hungry," Lauren complained. "Does anyone even have a piece of gum?"

"Finn, its Armageddon out there and all she can do is think about something to eat," Rachel hissed.

"Rachel everyone is terrified including Lauren. We don't even know if we have families or homes waiting for us. I think Lauren has already started counting her loses for today, even though we haven't even gotten out of this hole yet," Finn whispered to Rachel.

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked Finn quietly.

"Puck," Finn answered as he motioned toward Puck trying to comfort Quinn.

"I think that you're right," Rachel said softly as she snuggled closer to Finn trying to get warm.

Everyone returned to the spot where they had rode out the tornado and tried to get comfortable on the wet mats. The earlier adrenaline was wearing off and everyone was tired, wet, cold, hungry, and very scared. Finn pulled Rachel closer to him as they sat down to wait.

Shelby joined them and sat down on the other side of Rachel.

"Rachel, I want you to know that I meant what I said to you earlier. I'm sorry that it took a tornado for me to say it to you, but I meant every word. I've always loved you, I'm so proud of you, and I'm sorry that it took me this long to tell you. I came back hoping you would give me another chance to make up for some of the past." Shelby said to her daughter.

"I know," Rachel said softly as she sat holding Finn's hand on her right and Shelby's hand on her left.

Near the exit door, Mr. Schue sat back down next to Emma.

"You know Will, I've been thinking. All of these years we've been practicing for possible tornados by having the kids crouch in the hallways. If we had stayed in the halls, we would all be dead right now," Emma said to Will.

"I've thought of that too, Will said softly to Emma. I don't know what has happened to Sue, but I hope that she's safe out there somewhere."

When dawn finally came Rachel was curled up with Finn's arm around her asleep. The air no longer smelled like rotten eggs but had an earthy smell to it. Bright sunlight was streaming in through cracks in the ceiling above them as the water coming in had slowed to a drip.

"Is anyone in there?" a firefighter yelled through the narrow door opening.

"Yes, yes, we're here," Mr. Schue yelled back to the firefighters as he ran to the door. "There are thirty five of us and we're all okay."

"We found them! Get some equipment over here and pull this dumpster out of the way so we can open the door. Tell all of those parents that we're holding back that their kids are okay," the fireman shouted to his crew.

"I'm sorry that we didn't get to you sooner, but we've been working all night to get here. The gas had to be cut off and then we had to wait for the air to clear. With all of the power lines down we were afraid of a fire or an explosion," the fireman told Mr. Schue.

"We're just glad that you are here now," Mr. Schue shook the fireman's hand through the narrow opening.

A search and rescue truck was hooked to the dumpster and it was quickly pulled back. The kids walked through the open door but soon broke into a run to find their families waiting for them.

Finn was almost dragging Rachel as they ran up the slight hill to what used to be the school parking lot. Carole and Burt were standing there waiting with Blaine's parents. Carole was still in her hospital scrubs which had visible blood stains on them. Burt wrapped one arm around Kurt and hugged him tightly. His other arm was in a sling.

"Oh thank God," Carole screamed as she ran to hug her only son. "We were so afraid that you had been swept away with the building."

"We've waited all night, but the police and the National Guard wouldn't let us come any closer until the gas lines were cut off and the air cleared," Burt cried as he held Kurt a little closer.

"Dad, what happened to your arm? Are you alright?" Kurt asked his father.

"Ah, it's just sprained. Carole insisted on the sling. Kurt, I've got to tell you, we've lost most of the tire store and the new house is gone, but our old house is still livable.

"Mom, are you okay," Finn asked as he took a good look his mother's blood stained scrubs.

"We've been covered up with injured people at what's left of the hospital. I'm tired, but you're all okay and that's all that matters. Our old Hudson house is gone too, but no one was interested in buying it anyway," Carole said as she kissed Finn's cheek again.

"Have you seen my dads?" Rachel asked frantically as she scanned the other parents being reunited with their children.

"No, Rachel, we haven't, but I'm sure that they're okay." Carole said as she hugged Rachel. "We have search and rescue teams here from everywhere and the National Guard arrived last night. I do know that your house was damaged but for the most part it's still standing. Maybe they are trapped there."

"My dads weren't home; they were on the road to Columbia." Rachel ran from one joyous group of reunited people to the next searching in vain for Hiram and Leroy.

Quinn spotted her mother and ran into her arms.

"Oh Quinn, are you alright?" Judy Fabray cried as she hugged her pink haired daughter. "All that's left of our house is the foundation, but at least we're both still alive. We're going to live with you sister and her husband until we can get back on our feet."

Dave Karofsky had picked Artie up and had carried him up to the parking lot to find Artie's parents.

"I'm sorry that we didn't save your son's wheelchair," Dave said to Mr. and Mrs. Abrams.

"You save Artie and that's all that matters. How can we ever thank you?"

"Don't thank me. Azimio was the one who carried him down the steps into the basement after Mike and Tina pushed him there as fast as they could run," Dave smiled.

At the edge of the crowd Jesse St. James stood holding Beth waiting for Shelby to appear.

"My baby, my baby," Shelby cried as she ran past everyone to take Beth from Jesse's arms.

"Judy, Puck, and Quinn turned to see Shelby hugging Beth and Jesse as tears streamed down her face.

"Shelby is the only mother that Beth has ever known, but I would still like to see her," Quinn whispered to Puck.

Quinn walked over to where Shelby was tightly hugging Beth.

"Would you let me meet her?" Quinn asked Shelby.

Shelby was stunned when she opened her eyes to see Quinn standing there.

After a worried pause Shelby said to Beth, "Beth Honey, I would like for you to meet_"

"Your student," Quinn said as she smiled at the toddler.

Becky's mother was trying to hug her daughter, but Becky was pulling away looking for Coach Sylvester. "Have you seen Coach? She was in the building with us, but left to look for me before we went to the basement," Becky asked her mother.

"No Baby, I haven't, but I'm sure she's okay," Mrs. Jackson tired to reassure her daughter.

Parents were reunited with their children except for Rachel.

"We'll find them," Finn whispered to her. "Somehow we will find them. Your dads know that you're with me, and that I'll take care of you."

-/-

Until chapter 4, thank you for all of the reviews. Sincerely, Whistler Nights


	4. Chapter 4

**You Still Have Me – Chapter 4**

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

The sun was shining between lingering clouds on that Sunday morning following the worst tornado to hit Lima, Ohio in history. Rachel scoured what was left of the high school parking lot looking for Hiram and Leroy, but they weren't there. One by one all of the reunited families wandered off in the direction of what used to be their homes to pick up the pieces and find shelter.

Finn wrapped his arm around the devastated Rachel and held her close to him. "We'll find them. I'm sure that they left Lima before the tornado ever got here, and they're out there trying to get back into town now."

After a head count the students left with their parents. Principal Figgins, Mr. Schue, and Ms. Pillsbury stayed behind to give a statement to the police before they all walked home.

"Rachel," Shelby called after her daughter, "Jesse says that his car is parked near the edge of town and my house was out of the tornado's path. Will you come and stay with the three of us until your dads are located?"

"No, but thank you. I'm going to wait at our house until they return," Rachel thanked her mother.

"Rachel you can't stay there by yourself. We don't even know what kind of shape your house is in yet. You can stay with us at the old Hummel house. Can't she Mom?" Finn asked his mother.

"Of course she can," Carole agreed. "We don't have any electricity, water, or furniture but at least we have a leaky roof over our heads. That's more than most of our neighbors."

"Thank you Carole but no, I can't stay there either. Finn, would you mind going with me to what's left of my house? I want to see if my dads could be there," Rachel said pulling Finn anxiously in the direction of her house.

"Of course," Finn agreed. "Mom, we're going over to Rachel's house first. We're anxious to see if her dads might be there. We'll check things out there and be by to see you later. I'm not leaving her alone until we find Hiram and Leroy."

"I understand. You take care of Rachel and then come by the old Hummel house later," Carole said waving goodbye.

Rachel was almost pulling Finn as they made their way through the wreckage to her house.

"What if they're not there Finn? What if they were killed in the storm?" Rachel asked Finn.

"Rachel we left your house at eight AM and the storm didn't hit Lima until almost eleven. If your dads left your house right after we did, they should have been in Columbus before the storm ever reached Lima. They haven't called because the cell phone network and the land lines are down. The roads from here to Columbus have got to be blocked. Your dads are probably there in a hotel right now," Finn said trying to reassure her.

"I hope that they got out of the storm's path in time. If not they would have been driving south right into the storm before it ever reached Lima," Rachel said almost to herself.

Finn hadn't mentioned it to Rachel, but he had realized the same awful truth. The line of storms had traveled up the same highway that Hiram and Leroy would have used to go south to Columbus. If Hiram and Leroy had gotten a late start they would have been driving straight into the tornado's path before it reached Lima.

Finn and Rachel made their way through what used to be her neighborhood. Trees were down everywhere; houses were either gone or badly damaged.

The streets were full of mangled cars, trees, and debris. Picking their way through the carnage, they finally found Rachel's house. The large oak in the front yard had crushed the garage. Inside Rachel's Prius and Leroy's Lexus were flattened. The spot where Hiram's BMW usually sat was empty.

"See," Finn said to Rachel as they surveyed the damaged garage. "Your dads left town in Hiram's BMW before the storm got here. It'll just be a matter of time before they come home."

"I really hope you're right. I can't imagine my life without them, Rachel sobbed as she pushed the door open.

Inside Rachel's house most of the windows were broken and the wind had tossed things around. Rachel opened Hiram and Leroy's bedroom door to find that their bed was made and their overnight bags were gone. On the floor in the kitchen she found a memo board where her dads had left her a message. "Good luck on the SAT Baby, but you don't need luck. Be back late tonight. We love you, Dad and Daddy."

"But I do need luck, luck that they're out there somewhere alive and trying to get home," Rachel cried into Finn's chest.

"Rachel, luck has been with us from the first tornado warning siren. If we hadn't gone into the school basement when we did, we would've been swept away with the building. Crouching in the hallways was no protection from a F5. Your dads are going to be found I know it," Finn said softly to her as he rubbed her back.

Rachel worked inside her house for awhile sweeping up glass while Finn tried to find something to cover the broken windows. Inside they found bottled water, canned food, and a can opener. They ate their first meal in 24 hours straight out of the cans.

After their meal Finn said that he needed to go and check on his family over at the old Hummel house. Rachel was reluctant to go, but didn't want to stay at her house alone. She left her dads a note just in case they came back while they were gone.

Picking their way down the street they passed Quinn and her mother picking up what they could find at their house. They were packing what little they found into her sister's car. Quinn scribbled down her sister's phone number on a scrap of paper and handed it to them.

"Call me when the phones are working again, and let me know what's going on here," Quinn said before she turned to leave.

At the old Hummel house things were cramped, but at least they had shelter. All of their furniture had been lost with the new house. Blaine's house was gone too, and Carole and Burt had invited his family to stay with them until they could get to their relatives.

"Rachel, was there any sign of your dads at your house?" Carole asked hopefully.

"No, Dad's car was gone along with their luggage. They did leave a message for me that I found," Rachel replied.

"Burt and I want you to stay here with us until your dads come home. We don't want you over there alone," Carole said trying to reassure Rachel.

"I can't, I have to be there when they come home," Rachel declined the offer.

"Then can Kurt, Blaine, and I stay with you?" Finn asked Rachel. There's a lot of work to be done over there, and I'm not leaving you alone until Leroy and Hiram come home. The four of us have spent one night in a dungeon; a little more togetherness won't hurt us."

"If it's okay with your parents, I really don't want to be by myself," Rachel conceded.

-/-/-/-

Near the hospital the Red Cross had set up a shelter. Puck was getting settled in with his mother and his sister. At the sign-in table he spotted Lauren coming in with her parents. After a few awkward minutes he walked over to Lauren and said hello.

"Is your house gone too?" Puck asked Lauren trying to make conversation.

"Yes, there isn't much left there and I guess that there isn't much left for me here either," Lauren groaned while putting her meager belongings down on a cot.

"What are you talking about?" Puck asked.

"I can tell by the way that you look at Quinn that you still love her and you probably always will. Where is she? Did her house make it?" Lauren asked.

"No her house is gone too, but she and her mother are going to stay with her sister for awhile. Lauren you're right. I care about you, but I realized yesterday that a piece of me will always belong to Quinn. We had a baby together. She loves Finn, but part of me still has to hope."

"I understand," Lauren said looking Puck in the eye. "Like I told you before, I'm not desperate, but it has been fun."

"It has been," Puck smiled while Lauren gave his Mohawk a playful last tug.

-/-/-/-

Rachel, Finn, Kurt, and Blaine the left the original Hummel house and headed over to Rachel's. They four had ridden out a tornado together; they would stay with Rachel while she waited. There was more room there and for the most part the house was intact. All afternoon they worked on patching the windows and cleaning up.

When nightfall came, they made a meal out of some of the canned goods in the Berry pantry. With no electricity Blaine and Kurt found beds and retired for the night. Rachel and Finn were content to sit on the living room couch for a while watching two candles burn as they held on to hope that Leroy and Hiram were alive some where between Lima and Columbus.

"I can't sleep knowing that they're out there." Rachel whispered to Finn in the candle light.

"I know Finn whispered back. It's hard to sit here in this house without them, but let's not give up hope," Finn whispered as he kissed the side of her head.

The following morning was Monday. It had been the longest forty eight hours of their lives. Hiram and Leroy hadn't come home, but Rachel was up early in a cleaning frenzy. She wanted the house to be ready for her dads when they came home.

Electric line crews from every corner of the country began pouring into the state along with as many tree service crews. Chain saws were roaring all over town cutting up the downed trees and cleaning up the streets. The line of tornadoes had cut a path through Ohio right up from the south all the way into Michigan.

Around three in the afternoon, Carole came by the Berry house looking for Rachel. A National Guardsmen had driven her from the hospital, and Rachel was surprised to find that Shelby was with Carole.

"Rachel, we need you to come with us over to the hospital. A helicopter crew spotted a black car thrown about a mile from highway south of Lima."

"Is it my dads?" Rachel asked in a panic.

"We don't know, but car and the occupants match the description," Carole said softly. "I asked Shelby to come as 'next of kin' in case you don't want to do the identification. They're bringing the bodies to the hospital and have asked us to meet them there."

Rachel immediately went numb and limp. Finn helped her out to the waiting National Guard Hummer.

At the hospital the search and rescue crew had already arrived with two bodies and had them waiting for identification.

"I can't, Shelby would you go first?" Rachel whispered as they reached the door to the morgue.

Shelby nodded.

"Are you a family member?" the coroner asked before he let Shelby enter.

"If it is Mr. and Mr. Berry, then I am the mother of their daughter," Shelby said evenly to the coroner.

Rachel sat down on a bench to wait with Finn on one side and Carole on the other. She prayed that the two unfortunate souls in the morgue weren't her dads. In a few minutes Shelby returned and nodded her head yes.

"I want to make sure for myself," Rachel said hoping Shelby was wrong.

Shelby led Finn, Rachel, and Carole back into where the coroner was waiting with two bodies covered in sheets. When Rachel nodded that she was ready the corner pulled the sheets back.

"They look like they're asleep," Rachel said gazing down in shock at the two men who had raised her.

"At least they where together which is what they would have wanted," Finn said as silently tears fell.

"I'm all alone now," Rachel cried softly.

"No, you're not alone, you have me," Shelby said to Rachel as she rubbed her daughter's back.

Finn turned Rachel around and lifted her head up to look at him. "And you'll always have me for as long as you want me," Finn said before he wrapped a sobbing Rachel in his arms.

The same afternoon a farmer was out trying to round up his herd of cattle that had stampeded during the tornado. In the brush he found a woman's body in a bright red track suit about a mile from where McKinley High School had once stood. The farmer told the coroner that she must have enjoyed the ride because when he found the body, she had a smile on her face.

Later in the week Hiram and Leroy Berry were buried side by side in the Jewish cemetery near their temple, and Sue Sylvester was buried beside her sister Jean.

Rachel went through the next several days in a haze of grief. Finn and his family stayed with her repairing the Berry house.

Twelve days after the tornado hit the schools reopened. Having no building of their own the high school students were distributed between five different neighboring high schools. Rachel returned to school because she believed that was what her fathers would have wanted. Finn requested to be assigned with Rachel to the same high school. She was too fragile for him to leave her.

Over the course of the next few months Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine applied to and were accepted at universities in New York City. The friends planned on sharing an apartment when they left Ohio for New York the following year.

When spring came a ground breaking ceremony was held for a new high school around the remaining quad. All thirty five survivors were present. The football field was rededicated and was named the Sue Sylvester Field.

Graduation was held in May on the football field of McKinley. Construction crews had worked over time getting the field ready for the graduation even though the buildings were a long way from being completed.

"Finn, we made it." Rachel said to Finn as she clutched her diploma. "I just wish that my dads could have been here to see me accept my diploma."

"Rachel, they're here. I can feel them everywhere that you are," Finn tired to smile back. "They have never left you."

Rachel's house was eventually restored, but she decided to sell it to Blaine's family. They lost their home and had helped to rebuild hers. Dad and Daddy were gone, and she saw no point in keeping the house. She had planned on moving to New York and never coming back.

That fall Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine were packing to leave for college in New York City and Finn was going with them. Finn had surprised Rachel earlier with his acceptance letter from the Borough of Manhattan Community College. He had decided that he wanted to be a paramedic and possibly join the FDNY one day. The paramedics and firemen had risked their lives in the early hours after the tornado searching for them and the other survivors.

In all the F5 had taken eighteen lives, injured hundreds more, and caused millions of dollars in damage in the Lima area. The year before the tornado hit Rachel had decided that she was going to New York without Finn. Her career was waiting, and he would be a fish out of water in the big city. Now they had discovered that even a F5 tornado couldn't rip them apart. They were inseparable.

The End

Thank you for reviewing, Whistler Nights


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